Reading is a way round the world

I used to have a cookbook for kids — still do, come to think of it — called Cooking is a Way Round the World. Hence the post title. To quote Julie:

In one of my Goodreads groups, a clever person had the idea of each of us challenging ourselves to read a book by an author from every country. Obviously, this is a big challenge, and not something that can be banged out in three minutes, or even three months (for most of us!)

This struck me as an excellent idea. I think of it as like Munroing: there may be a few nutters who race to climb all 284 peaks in the fastest possible time, but for most people it’s a lifetime target, just picking off a few a year as opportunity allows.

Until the sport’s governing body comes up with an official set of rules, I’m allowing myself any genre, fiction, non-fiction, poetry, whatever; and I’m starting with the 192 member states of the UN plus any additional pseudo-nations I think are worth adding. At the moment the target is 201: the UN states, with the UK broken down into four regions, plus Palestine, Tibet, Antarctica, Greenland and the Cook Islands. EDIT: And as of July 2011, South Sudan; which isn’t a member of the UN yet, but I assume will be soon.

20 Comments

I don’t know what rules you’ve set up for yourself, since we’re all different, but Alexander McCall Smith was actually born in Zimbabwe, though he writes about Botswana. I’m filing him under Zimbabwe, I think, though it appears Zimbabwe is a much easier country to fill than Botswana!

Harry, we’re flexible on the rules. I’ve already reclassified a few books and expect this to continue; certainly when I read an author who’s clearly a better fit. I’ve also shifted some of my exemplars from the books I’ve previously read–this morning I thought “Michael White! He’s an Aussie writer whose work is incredibly relevant to my profession! I should list him rather than Garth Nix!”

That’s exactly it for me, too, Harry. My horizons can get way too narrow if I don’t take care to expand them. I’m very excited about some of the books I’ve put on my list, but I never would have thought to look for them if not for this challenge.

Thanks Harry for your lovely commentaries, reviews and insight. As we re-read the literary world map about us all through Heraclitean Fire I wonder if we could stop by at some ports of call and re-fuel with what’s new by way of titles, the read, the unread, and the yet to be read… What I mean is, say, how about stopping by at Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, and checking out what’s new there. Be invited, feel most invited, great countries, great cultures and great lovers of the word, and check out The Anuki Country Press. There could be more from that island in the Pacific…

Sorry, I explained that badly. No, Sweden should be easy to find books for, even for someone who doesn’t like crime fiction. I’ve liked the occasional Tranströmer I’ve read, maybe I’ll get his collected poems.

I can see Sweden in the list at the top of the page, between Switzerland and Swaziland; it’s greyed out because I haven’t read it yet.

Yes, thats what I thougt. Sweish crimes isn’t very good, only popular. So don’t go there if you don’t have too :) Tranströmer is very good! Selma Lagerlöf is also classic and have written many books that still is a pleasure to read.

[…] exploring reviews in Goodreads, I found a link to a blog wherein he is doing a lifetime (or long-term) reading goal — to be able to read at least one book in almost every country in the world. It actually came […]